...

After this round of the cup, Arsenal has two matches left in September.

One is the 6th round of the Premier League against Bolton Wanderers; the other is the 2nd round of the Champions League against Olympiacos.

Overall, both matches are very critical. Whether it’s the Premier League or the Champions League group stage, performances against mid and lower tier teams will affect the final results.

Many teams exhaust themselves against strong teams and often achieve good results; yet they become too relaxed against weaker teams, losing many points they should have earned.

Such teams have no championship spirit... In previous Premier League seasons, the winning score was around 85 points, even exceeding 90.

This means the championship team will have to win 25-28 matches, lose no more than 5 games, to relatively safely win the title.

The same applies to the Champions League: you not only have to strive to advance from the group stage but also to do so as group leaders, thus facing more manageable opponents in the round of 16.

On September 24, Arsenal hosted Bolton Wanderers at the Emirates Stadium, amidst cheers from over 50,000 fans.

Ma’el was back in the starting lineup, teaming up with Van Persie and Walcott in the forward trio today.

"Engog left the field injured after only 3 minutes, forcing Bolton Wanderers to use a substitution early in the match.

"He fell in a confrontation with Mertesacker, which was normal collision, but Mertesacker was too strong... Perhaps only a forward like Ma’el has the ability to contend with Mertesacker."

Under the impassioned commentary of Zhan Jun, the match officially commenced, and Arsenal appeared quite poised in the broadcast footage.

"Boom!"

In the 19th minute, Ma’el received the ball on the left flank and immediately charged past the opposing fullback Robinson. Facing defender Whit, he quickly used a bicycle kick to ease past.

Dribble data *2!

He dribbled the ball towards the middle, seeking a shooting opportunity, but unexpectedly Whit came up frantically and knocked him down.

"Whistle!"

The main referee blew for the foul while pulling out a yellow card from his chest and raised it above Whit’s head.

Ma’el got up from the ground, with only a slight pain in his right calf, nothing serious.

Seeing the referee had already drawn a card, he said nothing more, heading to the penalty spot to await the whistle to take the free kick.

Wenger had entrusted him with taking this kind of close-range free kick... Previously Ramsey, the designated taker, had no objections, meaning he shared set-piece duties with Ma’el.

He handled long-range free kicks and corners, Ma’el took close-range shots.

Ma’el was happy to accept this, as it’s his first season with the team, he couldn’t take everything under his wing.

"Boom!!"

He then released a right-foot dipping shot, but because he wanted to strike too forcefully, it veered off target, missing a good opportunity.

He grimaced for an instant before turning around to rejoin the play, not too disheartened, as no one can guarantee scoring with every shot.

Time continued forward, throughout the first half, Arsenal unleashed 8 shots but none found the target.

The sides eventually entered halftime with a score of zero to zero. Wenger didn’t change tactics but focused on the mental aspect, giving the players some encouragement and confidence.

"Boom!"

The second half started in the first minute, Ramsey threaded a straight pass to Van Persie, who rushed into the penalty area and slotted home before falling, giving the team the lead.

One-nil!

Van Persie went to the sideline to perform an uppercut, then turned to carry Ramsey on his back, waving to the fans.

After this, Bolton Wanderers launched a frantic counterattack, exerting considerable pressure on Arsenal’s defense.

Until the 67th minute, Arteta made a diagonal pass to Ma’el.

Having just undergone a counterattack, most of Bolton Wanderers’ players hadn’t returned, with only three defenders and two defensive midfielders at the back.

The full-back on Ma’el’s side was out of position, and Whit, already carrying a yellow card, was marking him.

Seeing the tension and aggression on Whit’s face, Ma’el knew he might choose a fierce tackle, attempting to dispossess him.

"Boom boom... boom!"

Ma’el dribbled towards him, maintaining a steady rhythm for the first few steps, calmly approaching Whit, until he flicked the ball ahead right before Whit’s tackle.

Whit regretted his move right after stepping, but it was too late to retract.

"Bang!" Ma’el sprinted forward, soon his thigh collided with Whit’s lifted knee, and he rolled painfully to the side.

The pain was real, but there was also a secret delight, knowing it’s likely Whit would be sent off.

"Whistle whistle!!"

The main referee walked briskly over, amidst the shouts from Bolton Wanderers’ players and coaches, and resolutely reached towards his chest.

"Shit!" Whit furiously swung his arms upwards, cursed, and turned to walk toward the players’ tunnel.

"Come back!"

"Come before me!"

"One last warning!"

The referee stood in place, calling out thrice, his face growing worse each time.

Some Bolton Wanderers players sensed trouble and ran to persuade Whit, but he refused.

"Red card! Direct red!"

The referee then withdrew the second yellow card, directly showing a red card.

Though it seemed similar, the post-match disciplinary measures vary, and Whit would face a longer suspension.

"Eh?!" Whit finally panicked upon seeing the red card, angrily yelling as he attempted to approach the referee for an explanation.